Modern English - After The Snow

"I Melt with You" will forever be the one specific moment that's Modern English's place in pop history, but the album it came from, After the Snow, isn't anything to sneeze at either. Indeed, in transforming from the quite fine but dour young miserabilists on Mesh & Lace to a brighter incarnation who still had a melancholy side, the quintet found exactly the right combination best-suited for their abilities. Like contemporaries B-Movie and the Sound, Modern English used punk and post-punk roots as a chance to introduce a haunting, beautiful take on romance and emotion, while the contributions of Stephen Walker on keyboard helped make the album both of its time and timeless. That said, the secret weapon on the album is the rhythm section of Michael Conroy and Richard Brown, able to shift from the polite but relentless tribal beat clatter on the excellent "Life in the Gladhouse" to the ever more intense punch of the title track, the album's unheralded masterpiece. None of this is to denigrate the contributions of singer Robbie Grey and guitarist Gary McDowell. The former's seemingly mannered singing actually shows a remarkable fluidity at points; "After the Snow" again is a good reference point, as is the fraught, slow-burn epic "Dawn Chorus"; while McDowell works around the band's various arrangements instead of trying to dominate them. Some songs, like "Face of Wood," even find Modern English (often dogged with Joy Division comparisons early on) predicting where New Order would go before that band got there itself. Still, "I Melt with You" is the main reason most will want to investigate further. A perfect pop moment that didn't have to strain for it, its balance of giddy sentiment and heartfelt passion matched with a rush of acoustic and electric guitar overdubs just can't be beat.

Modern English - Mesh And Lace

Everyone knows the hit "I Melt with You" but does anyone know that before Modern English hit the mainstream they were a post-punk noise band in the vein of Joy Division and Bauhaus?

Modern English were one of the bands that Ivo and Peter had originally approached Martin Mills about in 1979. After a self-released 45 (‘Drowning Man’), they made their 4AD debut with the ‘Swans On Glass’ single, which was followed later in the year by ‘Gathering Dust’. They also featured on the Presage(s) EP and were the only band from that compilation who continued to release records on 4AD. 38 years on, ‘Gathering Dust’ remains a crucial release in 4AD's history for reasons that have nothing to do with the music it contains. When the original art director proved unable to provide the sleeve art, Peter called a friend who recommended a young graphic designer named Vaughan Oliver. A strange coincidence ensued: Modern English had printed up some T-shirts which utilized a Diane Arbus photograph of two people watching television, while Vaughan had utilized the same image in his design portfolio. Result: Vaughan landed the job and began a relationship with 4AD that continues to this day. Modern English expanded on the promise of their singles with Mesh And Lace, a memorably atmospheric album that helped re-position guitar-rock in the wake of Joy Division, PiL and Wire. It also sported the first official 23 Envelope sleeve credit, thus ushering in an artistic collaboration that would provide 4AD with a recognizable visual identity. Modern English finished off 1981 with the single ‘Smiles And Laughter’.

Formed in Colchester, Essex, England, in 1979 by Robbie Grey (vocals), Gary McDowell (guitar, vocals), and Michael Conroy (bass, vocals), Modern English were originally known as The Lepers. The group expanded to Modern English when Richard Brown (drums) and Stephen Walker (keyboards) were subsequently added to the line-up of the band.

The debut album Mesh And Lace and the accompanying singles are a must have for any discerning post punk collection.

The Damned - The Black Album

Well, I don’t know about yours, but my original vinyl is scratched to absolute buggery. Regularly ripped from its sleeve as soundtrack to countless post-pub carouses, its fourth side (recorded before fan club members at Shepperton) crackles and spits with the intensity of a full English breakfast, particularly as it lurches from Love Song to Second Time Around. Unsurprisingly, the album cover still bears witness to various sticky reminders of McEwans or Tennents Lager and Merrydown cider spillage.

If your copy remains factory fresh then you’ve clearly not been listening to it properly, and if you’ve not got one? Well, you’re more to be pitied than scolded. For while The Black Album carries neither the historical import of their thrice-eponymous debut, nor the career-defining hits of Machine Gun Etiquette (in their studio incarnation), it still stands as The Damned’s psychedelic goth-punk magnum opus. Sounding for all the world like the best album the late-60s Who never made (with ex-Hot Rods bassist Paul Gray channelling his inner Entwistle), Wait For The Blackout, 13th Floor Vendetta and the side-long Curtain Call are well worth the hefty price of admission alone. Anyway, you’ve read enough already just go and buy the bastard.

The Damned - Strawberries

Although Vanian and Sensible tell slightly different stories about its origin, Strawberries owes its name to the idea that fans and/or critics (depending on the storyteller) had no appreciation for the group’s more sophisticated sound, leading to the observation that their new music was like giving strawberries to a pig. I’ll admit, I would have been quite happy if the band had just kept making their first album over and over, but then I would have missed out on “Dozen Girls,” “Life Goes On,” “Bad Time For Bonzo” and an album that’s easy to adore for very different reasons than Machine Gun Etiquette. The thick keyboard sounds of the 80s and an invasion of less talented goths may taint the album slightly by association; still, there’s no doubting that The Damned are a damned sight better than most bands. Strawberries is a remarkably fruitful enterprise from a band that, just a few years earlier, seemed intent on playing only three chords at one speed (fast).

Xmal Deutschland - Singled Out

The Complete A & B-Sides 1980-1989

Sounding like howling witches burning at the stake, the ghoulish shrieks of Xmal Deutschland's 1982 single "Incubus Succubus" immediately won the approval of goth rock connoisseurs. The German band was not able to maintain its black-clad sound, selling out to pop before the inevitable breakup, but Xmal Deutschland competed with Siouxsie and the Banshees for goth royalty. Xmal was formed in Hamburg, Germany, in 1980 by Anja Huwe (vocals), Manuela Rickers (guitar), Rita Simon (bass), Fiona Sangster (keyboards), and Caro May (drums). Originally an all-girl line-up, Xmal Deutschland added their first bloke when Rita Simon was replaced by bassist Wolfgang Ellerbrock. In November 1982, Xmal opened for Cocteau Twins in England, and the group caught the attention of the Twins' label, 4AD Records. The band was signed to the label and released their first LP, Fetisch, a year later. Fetisch hit number three on the U.K. independent charts. Xmal headlined a U.K. tour in 1983 and recorded a live session for renowned British DJ John Peel. Percussionist Manuela Zwingman quit the group, and their second bloke Peter Bellendir became the band's new drummer. The much tighter and heavier sophomore album Tocsin followed in 1984. On 1987's Viva, Xmal hit their creative peak, puncturing their goth rock rock sound with the eerie hooks of "Matador" and "Sickle Moon." However, Xmal Deutschland's “Halloween” days were numbered by 1989's Devils. Despite its ominous title, the group cheered up, dropped the German lyrics for English, and lost all their credibility. They disbanded soon thereafter.

It's difficult to explain this compilation album in a few words, whereas single collections from the likes of Joy Division, New Order, Siouxsie etc. can stand alone as seamless, very listenable "albums" in their own right, this one is for die-hard collectors and mega-fans only. It includes tons of lacklustre B-sides and remixes, sometimes three different versions of the same song back-to-back. That could have worked if they were radically different versions, but unfortunately, they're not.

Totenwald - Part Time Punks Session

Amongst the smoke-filled basements of the Berlin underground lurks the dark punk quartet Totenwald (German for “forest of the dead”) who are as old-school as it gets. Existing as an anomaly in their scene since 2014; they are more inspired by the early 80s roots of Berlin’s anarcho punk and Neue Deutsche Welle sound rather than more typical punk or hardcore bands. With a sound strongly inspired by the city’s burgeoning underground scene of the 1980s their look and feel conjures up the images of backcombed hair, beer and cigarettes that were found nearly 40 years ago at the legendary West-Berlin S036 club. Their unique signature style is as eclectic as the band members themselves; a hurricane of new wave glitz and glam, chorus-drenched post-punk melodies, and piercing saxophone solos, all under the sway and allure of vocalist Trish’s frenetic, echoing tales of resistance to an impending dystopian future. The Part Time Punks Session contains five songs, one song from each of their previous releases, as well as “Closed Circuits”, a previously unreleased track recorded live in-studio during their 2019 West Coast US tour.

Xymox - Twist Of Shadows

I was asked by an anonymous follower if I had a better quality rip of the Imagination single I posted earlier this month. It seems that I do…I recently acquired the expanded two disc edition of this album which fulfils the request and rather than create a whole new post I decided to recycle and arouse this floppy old one.

Xymox – sometimes known as Clan of Xymox – is one of this writer’s absolute favourite bands, and the 1989 album Twist of Shadows was everything to me. The band had struck a deal with PolyGram’s new subsidiary Wing Records for two albums, and there was even a write-up in Billboard Magazine about it, oddly enough. The album remains the group’s biggest seller and with good reason – it’s solid through and through. Main producer Peter Walsh created an album that wasn’t saddled with that “4AD sound,” but instead gave Xymox a danceable and accessible sound that you could shake your tail feathers to if you wanted, or just sit and take in the moodier pieces. “Evelyn” starts the album off with its gigantic synth/string intro, a love song with that goth twist with lyrics like, “We walked ‘til the sunlight died.” “Obsession” was the lead single and made a pretty good impression on radio; it includes some of Ronny Moorings’ twistedly visual lyrics like, “It’s just the way it should be / It’s so right as rain / We stayed awake at night / With visions so unreal / We stayed awake at night / with visions so ideal / It’s got a hold on me”. “Blind Hearts” and “A Million Things” had already been included on a 12-inch that proved to be the final release that the band would do for former label 4AD. Here in re-recorded form and definitely not as murky sounding, they meld in perfectly with the other original numbers. “Imagination” proved to be the real surprise as the third single released, sung by bass player Anka Wolbert. It actually charted in the U.S., landing at number 85 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles and helping the album sell over 300,000 units. Not to be forgotten is the instrumental closer composed by main keyboardist Pieter Nooten, titled “Clementina.” It is a majestic and moving end to an album that has no blemishes.

The House Of Usher - Black Sunday Chronology

Trying to get any kind of bio or sensible review of many German bands has become the bane of my life recently, so please bear with me. Tonight’s presentation is from a band that has an unfortunate choice in name, in that it’s also the title of a very well-known book. In the summer of 1990 Jörg Kleudgen (vocals) and Markus Pick (guitar) founded the band inspired by E.A. Poe’s novel "The Fall of the House of Usher". René Löffler (guitar) and Robert Nessler (bass) completed the first line-up. Fast forward to 1998 and the release of Black Sunday Chronology on the UK based Nightbreed label. Kleudgen does a good job of delivering the vocals in such a deliberate and gloomy way that the bands Goth influences are worn on their sleeves, with a huge nod towards an early Sisters swirling twin guitar and drum machine set-up, hints of NDW and bucket loads of dry ice. Nowt wrong wi that if we were still in 1984! The fact that this compilation picks up the band’s first eight years and even today would confuse the casual listener into thinking that The House Of Usher were in fact from Leeds or the North East of England circa 1983 only serves to ask the question, is this a homage to Goth music or jumping on the European band wagon for faithfully re-enacting over and over the underground music scene in England? Either way, because The House Of Usher have based their repertoire in that niche and it appeals to thousands of peeps all over the world, long may their music prosper.

The Young Gods ‎– T.V. Sky

In a conscious shift of aesthetics, the very European Gods turned their eyes on America with the band's fourth album, producing its most 'rock' record to date, a consistently strong smash. Opening with "Our House," it all seems (powerful) business as usual - odd sonic loops, rhythm patterns suddenly exploding into mass drum/riff combinations. But the difference here lies with the lyrics - discounting earlier covers, Treichler for the first time sings in English here and throughout, a conscious audience targeting which he addressed in contemporaneous interviews. "Gasoline Man" turns out to be the big shift, revamping what sounds like an old ZZ Top riff into as classic an American rock song as any - blues lyrical structure, loving the road and the motor - yet with the Gods' unique sonic signature present, revamping and re-stitching the past into a cleaner, newer form that avoids sounding just like another bar band. Underground hit single "Skinflowers" marries a powerful pulse and razor-sharp feedback stabs with a perversely catchy lyric; other tracks like "TV Sky" and the wickedly Guns n' Roses-quoting "The Night Dance" pile on the sound and space in equally gripping measure. "Summer Eyes," an intentional Doors tribute done after numerous Jim Morrison/Treichler comparisons in the past, even has a mid-song Manzarek-style organ break, but ends the album on a disturbing note, slow riff trudge samples fading out under Treichler's dark, sly take on America. In sum, a wonderful album that never got its proper due.

The Hellacopters - Supershitty To The Max!

The Hellacopters were formed in 1994 by Entombed drummer Nicke Andersson (who sings and plays guitar on this album), Backyard Babies guitarist Dregen, drummer Robert Eriksson (who was a roadie for Entombed) and Nicke Andersson´s childhood friend Kenny Håkansson (bass). The band was initially a hobby-project, but it became obvious that Andersson had acquired a taste for a more garage rock/rock´n´roll music style from playing with The Hellacopters, which probably resulted in the band becoming a full-time act for the members (Dregen would still work with Backyard Babies though) after Andersson left Entombed in 1997.

I wasn´t prepared for "Supershitty to the Max!", the debut full-length studio album by Swedish garage rock act The Hellacopters. It sounds like a filthy, noisy, and energetic hard rock/garage rock mix of MC5, The Stooges, Motörhead and The Ramones, delivered with great conviction. The album features one of the strongest and most "Fuck Yeahh!!!” opening tracks in history in "(Gotta Get Some Action) Now!", which is simply party starter track number one on my party starter playlist. Now this is how you open a rock´n´roll album in style. The quality drops slightly from there, but overall "Supershitty" is a powerful and enjoyable album throughout. 

Siekiera - Nowa Aleksandria (Axe - New Alexandria)

Sieikera were at the forefront of Poland's post-punk movement, and thus, are one of the most beloved bands. Formed in 1983 as a more straightforward hardcore punk band, the band honed their craft for three years before cutting their first record. By then, the band had begun experimenting with cold synthesizers and bleaker textures, tapping into the same sonic template as Killing Joke and Joy Division. Pushing their sound further and deeper against the backdrop of Poland's desolate and isolated Cold War exterior, the results were incredibly powerful and influential. Nowa Aleksandria is still regarded one of the most cherished records of the post-punk underground, featuring incisive guitars, buzzing synths, and fast-paced, blistering energy. The LP remains one of the most important recordings from the era, and continues to inspire and influence to date. Despite its darker tone, Nowa Aleksandria was successful, with two tracks appearing on the LP3 top ten. The record would sell 50,000 copies worldwide, earning the band a respectable local following. As such, their cult expands past Poland, with countless fans across the globe. The band would split very soon after the release of Nowa Aleksandria, but now after almost 40 years their tracks can still be heard in clubs in Europe and the US.

Suspectre - Suspectre

Suspectre is a new post-punk band of three friends based in Frankfurt, Germany. After having spent the last years in several DIY contexts and music projects they finally started this new band in 2018. They played a few concerts in 2019, but were rather quickly stopped again by the pandemic. Nevertheless they recorded a 12’’ record as their debut release in 2020. It contains 8 songs that are a diffusely influenced blend of various punk-related genres held together by its basic 3 instrument arrangement. Combining the rhythm-driven verve of garage punk with a warm and melodic pop appeal, they create their very own sound in the vast post-punk landscape. Lyrically the songs reflect on inner states and depict the individuals’ behaviour in modern consumerist society. In particular they focus on the experiences of alienation and social pressure. Meandering between the discontent of unsolved expectations and the longing for something better, they comment on the strains of contemporary life.

“Known Pleasures,” Suspectre’s single, is a revved-up, propulsive track with a wiry twitchiness to it. It’s closer to straight-up punk rock than what you’ll hear from some of the hyped-up British and Irish bands coming out these days, but the vocals have that classically post-punk combination of sardonic and freaked-out. “Known Pleasures” is a song all about the perpetually unsatisfying need to keep staring at bullshit on screens: “Our rooms we fill with pleasure until the next fake need makes us proceed/hungry whole time, unsatisfied, with noise and lights that don’t enlight.” That’s real shit!

The Hail Mary - The Hail Mary 12''

The thing that grabbed me first when I found this 12” single at a small record shop in Antwerp was the sticker on the front: "First Record Censured in Belgium". What caused it to be censured? Were all the songs promoting baby sacrifice? Listening to the four tracks on this single didn't really offer many clues - it's four solid songs of excellent deathrock and dark post punk that's part Christian Death and part Bauhaus. So, I ask all of you - do you know why the Hail Mary had the first record censured in Belgium? Is there even any credibility to this claim?

Pink Turns Blue - If Two Worlds Kiss

Founded in Cologne, Germany in 1985, Pink Turns Blue’s blend of atmospheric dark pop informed by European post-punk contemporaries and buzzing punk dissonance of Hüsker Dü (the band is named after the Zen Arcade song) immediately tapped into a new canon of sound that was foundational to the emergence of darkwave. Tom Elbern (vocals, guitars)formerly of Seltsame Zustände and Mic Jogwer (vocals, bass) were joined by Marcus Giltjes (drums), and Ruebi Walter (keyboards) and caught on through diligently pounding the club circuit and circulating their early, self-financed recordings. Despite the commitment to their craft and initial grassroots success, securing label support proved difficult as they refused to sing in German and their sober tone lacked the shimmer of pop and optimism that executives felt formulaic to success. Still, the band persisted with the duo of Elbern and Jogwer sharing vocal duties and song credits, each informing the other’s compositions until Elbern halved the song production and left the band in 1987. Continuing to perform and record as a three piece, the band eventually found roots with FunFactory!, an independent label based in Münster whose manager, Axel Seitz, shared the band’s appreciation of the Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol’s Factory vision, urging them to forego releasing singles and focus on a full-length. Released in 1987 If Two Worlds Kiss is a seminal offering to the canon of dark wave’s DNA - a fluid lesson in melody, mood, and pacing - each track continuously adding to the journey like a unique push-pin on a map of melancholy. Defined by their dynamic song-writing, their debut added a new urgency and depth to guitar-driven gothic rock by allowing fast songs such as the lead single “Walking on Both Sides” to possess the same sullen punch and melancholy as slower anthems like “When the Hammer Comes Down”, which derives its power on the downbeat. More rhythmic variety is added through beat-driven dancefloor tracks with triumphant singalong choruses like “That Was You”, showing they could swing hard - as well as swirl.

Pink Turns Blue - Meta

Recorded on the heels of their debut album, If Two World Kiss and informed by the band’s oscillating live synergy and bolstered by a boon of new equipment and texture, Pink Turns Blue’s sophomore 1988 album Meta was a conceptual leap predicated by the study of sound and exploration of its edges. With the same fervour that Joy Division mined deeper, darker, and less linear on Closer, Meta is a cohesive meditation on atmosphere and how every note and passage can traverse space individually, as part of a larger narrative. Singles “Touch the Sky” and “Your Master Is Calling” are the albums cornerstones; airy, steady, and driving tracks with a depth of melody and orchestration that sparked a shimmering new example of dark pop. The instrumental balance throughout the album creates a strobe light journey later echoed throughout gothic compatriots exploring minor keys and nocturnal themes. Recorded by Jané Krizaj known for producing most of Laibach’s material, the Meta sessions took place in a basement studio located below a stadium. Then a part of Yugoslavia, the studio was located in now Slovenia and was affordable, but lacked many modern recording amenities, forcing the band to smuggle valuable equipment in exchange for recording time. Riding the excitement, cultural experience, and friendship of Laibach, born on the road and further fostered throughout the vibrant Ljubljana music scene and Croatian coast, Meta’s feel is a musical manifestation of beautiful confusion of exploring the new and unfamiliar.

Paradox Obscur - SYNΘESIS

Paradox Obscur is a synth electronic duo formed in 2014. The team is made up of prolific producers Toxic Razor & Kriistal Ann, who both share a love for recording electronics in realtime to deliver their unfiltered unique electronic sound.

This is not your typical electronic duo; they experiment and do not feel the need to move around in the shadows.